NZ227330A - Frozen article of alternating crisp and soft materials - Google Patents

Description

22 7 3 3 0 Priority Date(s): .rv/.y. tftiiiaiiiiftiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitaiji Complete Specific *^ion. Filed: ^ a a • « a Class: ;Publicatlo r» D? ■ 3: ... 2 8. WAY. J991... P.O. Journal, No: ;Patents Form No. 5 ;NEV7 ZEALAND ;PATENTS ACT 195 3 ;COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ;MOULDED FROZEN CONFECTION AND PROCESS ;^/We, FRISCO-FINDUS AG, a Swiss company of Rorschach, Switzerland, ;hereby declare the invention, for which X/we pray that a patent may be granted to nv6/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;- 1 - ;(followed by Page la) ;* "V, 5 227330 1 a This invention relates to iced articles moulded in individual portions, such as sticks, cones, cylinders, lollies and the like.

Consumers of articles such as these enjoy the variety of shapes and the association of colours, tastes and textures. As an illustration of what is available, there may be mentioned the composite articles which comprise several layers of differently flavoured ice cream; those which are coated, for example with chocolate; those which have soft centres or contain fillings, for example of syrup, caramel or truffled mass; cones which are surrounded by a cornet wafer. Composite articles of this type can be made by different methods.

In one process, which is described for example in USPS 2,048,364, a composite stick ice is made by freezing syrup in successive layers from the centre, followed by dip coating with molten chocolate. Another process, which is described for example in US-PS 2,747,525, comprises partially freezing a liquid material in a mould from the periphery, draining the liquid core, filling the shell thus formed with another liquid material of different type and freezing it. In a third process, which is described for example in US-PS 2,975,732, a hollow space is formed in a material during freezing in a cup by means of a rigid pipe, the hollow space is filled with another material and the whole is frozen. Finally, according to US-PS 3,770,460, the liquid centre is displaced from a partially frozen material in a mould by introduction of a confectionery mass of higher density than the liquid.

The object of the present invention is to provide an iced article having a new structure which provides it with gustative properties different from those of the known (followed by Page 2) 227330 2 products moulded in individual portions.

The iced article according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises at least two thin layers of crispy material alternating with layers of soft material and in that the various layers, as seen in cross-section, have the same centre of symmetry.

Accordingly, the invention provides an individually moulded, frozen article comprising at least two layers of crispy material each having a thickness of less than 1mm and each alternating with a layer of soft material and in that the various layers, as seen in cross-section, have the same centre of symmetry.

The invention also provides a process which produces an individually moulded, frozen article, wherein layers of crispy material each having a thickness of less than 1mm are each formed alternately with a layer of soft material so that the various layers, as seen in cross-section, have the same centre of symmetry.

The new gustative sensation is based on the contrast of texture and taste between the various constituent materials of the alternate layers which is noticed when the article is crunched: there is a pleasant surprise effect, creating the impression that the article is made of flaky pastry.

Thus, the crispy material is hard and brittle. It may be made from a fat-based composition containing fats having a pour point above 0°C and, more especially, above ambient temperature, for example a vegetable butter, such as cocoa butter, a cocoa butter substitute or equivalent, a hardened vegetable oil, a vegetable fat fraction or a transesterified fat; more particularly a fat-based covering of the type commonly used in confectionary. It may also be a substantially aqueous or even sweetened composition, for example based on cooked sugar. The composition in question, whether based on fats, water or sugar, may contain additives, for example colorants, flavourings (followed by page 2a) ?27330 2a selected in dependence upon the desired contrast with the adjacent layers of soft material. The crispy material must lend itself to application in a thin layer, for example by spraying, and must form a continuous layer by cooling in contact with the adjacent soft layer. It is preferably thin enough to break up into small pieces when chewed and, in practice, has a thickness of less than 1 mm and preferably less than 0.5 mm.

The soft material is an aerated iced composition, for example, an aerated ice cream or sorbet.

The texture contrast is advantageously obtained, for example, by the arrangement in succesive layers of 22 73 30 3 differently flavoured ice creams associated with thin intermediate layers of chocolate coating , the whole being covered with a chocolate coating ; by the arrangement in successive layers of differently flavoured expanded sorbets associated with thin intermediate layers of optionally flavoured ice, the whole being covered with an ice glaze; in one particular embodiment, by the presence of a central core consisting of a non-expanded fat-based emulsion of the fondant or chocolate truffle type associated with alternate layers of ice cream and chocolate coating. in a variant of this particular embodiment, by the association of a central core consisting of a non-expanded fat-based emulsion flavoured with fruit and alternate layers of expanded fruit-flavoured sorbets and ice.

The layers of ice cream or sorbet may contain pieces of preserved fruit, dried fruit, walnut, hazelnut. The fruit and pieces of fruit and also the sorbets may be flavoured with alcohols and liqueurs; the fat-based outer coating may also contain pieces of walnut, hazelnut, cereal flakes, granules of praline, extruded casein, etc.

The article may be in the form of an ice lolly, i.e. it comprises a holding stick at its centre. The ice lolly may have a polygonal, for example reactangular, triangular, square, star-shaped, etc., cross-sectional profile, so that the various layers form polygons nested in one another with the same centre of symmetry. It may have an elliptical or circular etc. profile, in which case the various layers, as seen in cross-section, are concentric.

Alternatively, it may be an ice cream cone, in which case the various layers are in the form of coaxial ice cream cones nested in one another and placed in a cornet wafer lined internally with a thin layer of fat-based coating acting as a moisture barrier.

The present invention also relates to a process for the production of the articles described above which is characterized in that thin separation layers of crispy 22 7 3 3 4 material are formed alternately around layers of soft material so that the various layers, as seen in cross-section, have the same centre of symmetry.

The invention is more fully described purely by way of example in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates a first method of producing an ice lolly and, in cross-section, the article obtained.

Figure 2 diagrammatically illustrates another method of producing an ice lolly.

Figure 3 diagrammatically illustrates a particular method of producing an ice lolly and, in cross-section, the article obtained.

Figure 4 illustrates the production of an ice cream cone.

Unless otherwise stated, the percentages are by weight.

Generally, the ice lollies are produced by introducing the liquid material into a cell which passes successively through a freezing medium, for example a tank containing brine, a water/glycol mixture or any other suitable eutectic mixture at -40°C, and then through a thawing medium consisting for example of a tank of brine at +30"C. In the freezing phase, a stick is placed in the material during its solidification. In the thawing phase, the lolly is withdrawn from the cell by taking hold of the stick after superficial thawing. If desired, the lolly may then be dipped into a coating liquid which solidifies in a thin layer on contact with the lolly.

Referring to Figure 1, the cell 1 is filled in a with liquid 2 consisting for example of a composition for a strawberry-flavoured sorbet and aerated to a level of 20% (containing 20% by volume air). After a few minutes, a crust 3 is formed on the wall of the mould in b. The liquid core is removed in c by means of the pipe 4. In d, 027? water is sprayed in fine droplets, which freeze instantaneously on contact with the crust 3 into a thin continuous film of ice, by means of a high-pressure (for example 160 bar) atomizer with no incorporation of air.

The spray head of the atomizer 5 is designed to distribute the water uniformly over the inner wall of the crust.

A shell is thus formed. The shell is filled in e, for example with a composition for lemon sorbet 6. After a few minutes, a crust- 7 has formed around the periphery in f and the liquid core is withdrawn in g. In h, water is sprayed in fine droplets by means of an atomizer 8 to form a thin film 9 of ice and the shell is refilled in i, for example with a composition for raspberry sorbet 10. A stick 11 is introduced in j. Steps a to j take place during the freezing phase. In k, the lolly is removed by taking hold of the stick after superficial thawing. Finally, in 1, the stick is dipped in water to form a surface glaze 12 of ice and is then removed.

Associations of flavours different from that described above are of course also possible. For example, the liquids 2, 6 and 10 are, respectively, a composition for guanabana, kiwi, raspberry sorbet; a composition for mandarin, guanabana, raspberry sorbet.

In Figure 2, freezing takes place successively in two cells 13 then 14. The cell 13 is used to mould the central core while the cell 14, approximately twice the volume, is used for the actual lolly. The cell 13 is filled in a with a liquid composition for chocolate-flavoured ice cream 15 aerated to a level of 30%. After a stick 16 has been introduced in b, the cell 13 is heated and the core is removed in c by taking hold of the stick. In d, the core is dipped in a liquid, coffee-flavoured fat-based composition 17 containing 40% hydrogenated vegetable fat for 60% coffee-flavoured white 'c^.ocbTate an<L then withdrawn 6 22 7 3 3 0 At the same time, the cell 14 is approximately half-filled in d' with a liquid composition for coffee-flavoured ice cream 18. When the composition becomes pasty, the core is transferred to the cell 14 in e by taking hold of the stick 16, after which the cell 14 is heated and the lolly is removed therefrom in f. Finally, in step g, the stick is dipped in a liquid fat-based coating composition 19 consisting of 54% white chocolate, 36% hydrogenated vegetable fat and 10% peanut oil. The coating composition 19 also contains 38% corn flakes, based on the weight of liquid, after which the lolly is withdrawn.

In Figure 3, steps a to d are the same as steps a to d described with reference to Figure 1, except that the layers 20 and 21 are respectively ice cream flavoured with white chocolate and a thin crispy layer of fat-based composition comprising 60% dark chocolate for 40% hydrogenated vegetable fat. The shell is approximately half-filled in e.with a liquid composition for ice cream 22 flavoured with gianduja (hazelnut) chocolate having a density of 1.09 (as measured at 20°C) . After a few minutes, a crust 23 forms in step f. In g, a pasty fondant 24, for example a non-expanded fat-based emulsion (oil-in-water), based on liquid sugars, dairy butter, vegetable fats, cocoa powder and water, density 1.104 (as measured at 20°C) is poured in. In view of its higher density, the fat-based emulsion displaces the liquid core from the ice cream 22 towards the upper wall of the cell. The following steps of introducing a stick (h) , mould release (i) and coating (j) with a layer of dark chocolate (25) containing corn flakes take place as described above (steps j, k, 1 of Figure 1) . It is obvious that the constituent materials of the layers may be different from those described above. Thus, 20 may be an aerated exotic fruit sorbet, 21 a thin layer of ice, 22 a guanabana sorbet of density 1.11 (as measured at 20°C), 24 a raspberry fondant of density 1.13 (as measured at 20°C) and 25 a glaze of ice. 227330 7 In Figure 4, an ice cream cone is produced on the following principle; in a, the conical cell 26 is filled with a material 27; in b, a conical cavity is formed in the material 27 during freezing by means of a punch 28, preferably heated at its surface or rotating so that it does not stick to the material 27; - in c, the liquid intended to form the crispy layer 29 is sprayed by means of an atomizer 30 of appropriate configuration; w - in d, the conical shell is filled with a material 31 different from 27; - in e, the cell 26 is heated and the ice cream cone is withdrawn by means of spikes 32; - in f, the ice cream cone is placed in the cornet wafer 33 internally coated beforehand with a thin layer of fat-based poating 34, the spikes 32 being withdrawn while the fork 35 remains fixed; - in g, a topping 36 of ice cream in the form of choux is applied to the upper surface of the cone and then finished with small pieces of chocolate or chocolate powder.

In a variant (not shown) of the production of cones, the conical mould consists of a cornet wafer such as 33 internally coated with a thin layer of fat-based coating reference to Figure 4 remain the same, except that the freezing medium is cold air from a tunnel through which the cones pass supported by perforated plates fixed to a chain. Steps e and f, namely mould release and introduction into the wafer, described with reference to Figure 4 are thus omitted. After the topping has been applied, as in g, the cone is ejected by tilting of the support plates.

In another variant (not shown) of the production of cones, a central core, such as 31, is first made in a mould 34. In this case, steps a, b, c and d described with 8 22 7 3 30 and then released therefrom and a thin layer of fat-based coating is applied to its outer surface, for example by spraying or dip coating. At the same time, a material such as 27 is introduced into a wafer such as 33 internally coated with a thin layer of fat-based coating 34 so that it is partially filled (for example to approximately half the internal volume) and, after a crust has formed by partial freezing in air, the core made first is introduced so that the still liquid material 27 surrounds the upper part of the central core to the edge of the wafer and hardens. After the topping has been applied, as in g, freezing is completed in air.

In the foregoing description of the various embodiments of the process, the steps involved were described with reference to a cell, an atomizer, etc. Of course, in an industrial plant, a mould comprises a series of cells in lines and the number of metering heads, atomizers and units for introducing and taking hold of the sticks or cones is adapted to the number of cells in each line. The duration of the various steps which determines the movements and placements is governed by the type of plant (for example roundabout, line or rectangle) and the desired production rate. 227330

Claims (14)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An individually moulded frozen article comprising at least two layers of crispy material each having a thickness of less than 1mm and each alternating with a layer of soft material and in that the various layers, as seen in cross-section, have the same centre of symmetry.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1 in the form of a lolly or cone.

3. An article as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the soft material is an aerated ice cream and in that the crispy material is a fat-based composition containing fats having a pour point above 0°C.

4. An article as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the soft material is an aerated fruit sorbet and in that the crispy material is ice.

5. A process which produces the individually moulded, frozen article claimed in claim 1, wherein layers of crispy material each having a thickness of less than 1 mm are each formed alternately with a layer of soft material so that the various layers, as seen in cross-section, have the same centre of symmetry.

6. A process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the article is formed by the following step: I) a mould is filled with a liquid material which tends to assume a soft consistency in the frozen state, the material is partially frozen from the outside and the liquid core is removed to form a cavity, II) a liquid material which tends to assume a crispy consistency in the frozen state is applied in a layer to the walls of the cavity and is left to harden in contact with the soft material to form a shell having a thickness of less than 1 mm, 727330 10 III) the preceding steps are repeated up to the centre of the mould by alternating layers of the soft and crispy materials, IV) the article is frozen and removed from the mould.

7. A process as claimed in claim 6 in which a stick is introduced before the article is frozen.

8. A process as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that step III) is replaced by the following step III): a first liquid material which tends to assume a soft consistency in the frozen state is introduced into the shell until the shell is approximately half-full and is then partially frozen, after which a second, pasty material is introduced, its density being such that it occupies the space previously filled by the first material still in the liquid state of lower density, and displaces the first material towards the wall of the shell while it occupies the central space to the level of the upper edge of the mould.

9. A process as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that step I) is replaced by 1^) and in that step V) below is added: 1^) the mould being conical, a cavity is formed in the soft material during freezing by means of a conical punch, V) the article removed from its mould is introduced into a cornet wafer internally coated beforehand with a fat-based coating.

10. A process as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, in step 1^, the mould is formed by a cornet wafer internally coated beforehand with a fat-based coating and step V) is omitted.

11. A process as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: I2) a central core of soft material is formed in a conical mould, removed therefrom and then coated with a fat-based coating. II2) at the same time, a wafer coated internally with a fat-based coating is approximately half-filled with £^jguid material which is partially frozen, 227a30 11 IIIj) the central cores formed in Ij) is introduced into the wafer so that the residual liquid around the central core is displaced to the edge of the wafer and the whole is frozen.

12. A process as claimed in any one of claims 6 or 8f characterized in that the article removed from its mould is coated with a layer of crispy material.

13. A frozen article moulded in individual portions, as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

14. A process, as claimed in claim 5, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings. FRISCO-FINDUS AG By Their Attorneys BALDWIN, SON & CAREY